Quote

“Everything we put out holds up. The tracks, the songs, the playing, everything still holds up today.”

- Ringo Starr, former Beatles drummer, comparing the Beatles’ music to music today. (rollingstone dot com)

Meaning: stays good; doesn’t worsen

To say something “holds up” means it is solid and sturdy. You can use this expression to describe objects that hold up against wear. You can say that an idea that remains true through time holds up. It means that whatever you’re talking about is strong and can’t be broken, harmed or denied.

You can also say, as Ringo does, that a work of art or music holds up. This means that the quality of the work doesn’t decrease over time. Even though the Beatles recorded 40 years ago, they are still a very popular and influential band. Ringo is right to say that the music he made with the Beatles holds up because it is still as good or better than most of music made today.

Grammar Point

Oddly enough, “hold up” can also refer to a robbery that involves a weapon. If someone points a knife at you and demands your money, you would say that you have been “held up.” When thieves enter a bank to rob it, they often show their guns and say, “This is a hold up!”

Examples

””I hope this old car holds up on this long drive.”

“The works of Shakespeare hold up as great and important texts hundreds of years after they were written.”“

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